Automobile trash receptacle



Feb. 16, 1960 v. A. HOPP AUTOMOBILE TRASH RECEPTACLE Filed May 28, 1958 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY 2,925,172 AUTOMOBILE TRASH RECEPTACLE' Victor A. Hopp,,Ringwood, In. Application May 28, 195 8, Serial No. 7 38,418 i Claims. (Cl; 206-195) My inventionrelates'to a= trash receptacle for autom'obiles and niore specificallyto a combination of a dis posable container and. a support therefor easily attached in a convenient location inside an automobileintowhich litter may be deposited and which may be bodily re moved and disposed of when full.

Trash such as Kleenex, candy wrappers, scrap paper, etc., has presented a problem in automobiles inthat no one enjoys throwing such matter out of the car. to litter the roadsides'and yet no satisfactory way of accommodating-this material is provided in the automobile.

My invention is directedto a receptacle or more properlyitoa" container and a support therefor, which-is to accommodatetrash of this character: 'Fhesupport" is exceedingly inexpensiveand easily' attachable t'o"thein side of an automobile in a location which is convenient" and within reach of the driver orfront seat passengers and yet which is out of the way'so asnot to impair the comfort of persons riding in the automobile. The' conta'iner of myinv'ention is inexpensive-to the point of b'eingdisposable," is easilyattached to the support and,'when full, may be torn from the support and disposed of withoutl the need for handling the trash contained therein directly. My invention provides that. the container thereofis closed except when trash is actually being placed therein.

Other-objects and advantagesof my invention will be apparent from the following description and drawings of whicliz Fig; l-is a -side elevation of a receptacle embodying my plan view ofthe receptacle'embodying Fig. 5isa perspective-ofthe container portion of my invention prior to attachment to the support portion there'ofi The illustrated receptacle embodying my invention-con sists essentially of a support 10 and a container 12. The support includes a strips.- Aboutfmidway of their length the strips are twistedthrough-90 as at 16-50 that the strips at the' inner part 18 of the arms are generally horizontal and at the outer part are generally vertical. The inner part of each arm is recurved upwardly on itself to define a rela tively large loop 22. The extreme free end of the inner part of the arm'has' corrugations 24 thereon, and the curvature defining the loop 22 brings the corrugated portion 24 in close proximity to the more central flat portion of the inner part to constitute a spring clip indicated generally by 25. r

The support portion also includes a three-sided rectangular inner frame 26 formed of relatively stiff and pair of arms 14 formed of spring steel ingdownwardly from the" ends of the back.

steel arms 14a're stamped about strong v'virea'nd- Having" aback 28* and sides 3'0 extend The sides 30 terminate in eyes 32. The supportalso comprises a second; outer frame 34 which likewise has a back'aridterminating inisimilar eyes 40. The't'wo frames 26 and are substantially idehticalinsize'."

The frames are secured together forpivotal movement with respectto ea'ch other'by placing the fiame'sins'ide bys'id'e relation, springing thefram'esslifii'ciently to bring.

adjacent eyes into alignment" and passing grommets" 42 through the two pair of eyes to secure the frames to-" gether, side-to-side and-"bacli-to back. v

A small diameter coil sprin'g44 having" ends of appreci'able" length" is inserted into 'eacli" of the grommets;

Hooks46-a're" formed on the endso'f the springs. The springs are pre-tensioned and the hook ends'are then latched about the frame sides 30, "38' to urge'the two frames together.

The free ends 48 of the outer theupper ends of the sides'30 of the inner'frame 26 to securethe armsto'that frame. 7 H

The-back 3130f theouter' frame 34 may include acentral"'portion thereof ofiset horizontally to the front to V define a' handle 50.

la'r aperture; 66 therein in the line of The illustrated container portion 12 ofmydrivention is essentially a modified form bag] The bO ttOnran'd sidesSS inthe usual fashion: shallow so thatthje vertical lieight thereof is about equal to the width. Additionally, th'ebag are extended upwardly above the ends of the bagtodefiiie flaps 60. The flaps are gummed as at' 62 along their top edge onflthe "outside surfaces thereof. Below the line of acrossas-at 64; On:

or a conventional paper o'f'tliebag will be formed of the flaps has a narrow'rectanguperforation 64' and centrally of thefiap. The aperture is proportioned to admit the handle 38 therethrough. i

The use of the receptacle will beevidnt from the foregoing description. c

A representative dashboard 6 8 of an automobile shown in'transverse'section in Fig. l. Aporti'on 70 thereof slopes downwardly and away from At the at72' towardthe front of thecar and terminates in' an upturnedlip 74 underneath the dashboard. I contemplate thatthe'recepta'cleof my invention be secured to the underside ofthe dashboard in approximately the centerthereof so 'as to be accessible both to the driver and passenger and at "the same time not be bumped by the knees of either. The support 12 is secured to" the dashboardby manually springing-open the spring clips 25 and hooking 'the clips over-theinner edge of lip 74 of'the' dashboard. The support then extends rearward or outward, and the support should be so positioned on the dashboar'dthat the back 28 of frame 26 lies at about theline' of transition'between the horizontal dashboard portion 72 and the sloping portion 70 or even farther forward under the horizontal part of the dashboard.

In this position, the rcceptacle'of my invention is accessible for the deposit of trash and yet is out of the way andsubstantially concealed from View! The-corrugations of the clips 25 bear firmly against the portion 72 of the dashboard and anchor it firmly in place. The large "loop'22 of the-clip will accommodate a wide variety of lips 74. l

The bag or container is attached to the frame by'first moisteningtlie-gum'med flapedges 62 and thenpassing the flaps up between the horizontal frame backs 28 and 36.

Patented Feb. 16, 1960 back 36 and sides 38- extending downwardly from the ends" of the parts 20 0f the spring The bag is; however, relatively the' longitudinal sides of gu'mming, the flaps are perforated the passengers v inthe front seat'or toward the front ofthe car.

endof-thi'sslope' the dashboard extendshorizontally as 'g'tlmmed surfaces lie back to back in the process of installing thebag so that there is no danger of mutual adherence. The flaps are carried upward between backs 28. and 36 until-the aperture 66 may be placed over the handle .50. Thebag is withdrawn slightly at this point so as to'bring the aperture 66 snugly up against back 36and cause handle 50 to protrude therefrom. The flaps may then. be anchored into position and the frames-sepstrip arms twisted through a right 'angle between the ends "arated-so that the hand can be inserted into the container to press the gummedflap-edges back on the lower n ungummed portionsof the flaps so as to wrap the flaps around the backs 28 and 36 and-so secure the container thereto. By thismode of placement, the lines of perforations 64 in the flaps lie against the upper surfaces of the frame backs 2 8 and 36.

In use, 'when trash t passengerof the automobile will simply pull upon the handle to. spread open the bag .andplace the waste in r the container. .When the ,hand leis released, the two frames close together, so closing the container.

frames, the paper loops enclosing the frame backs tearing and opening on. the .lines of perforation 64. The container may then be ..bod ily dropped in a filling station receptacle. It is reasonable to expect that changing containers may be provided'asa gratuitous and routine filling station service just as checking oil and water-and cleaning the windshields..

It willbe evident installed, which is readily accessible for purposes of trash disposal and yet which is out of theway so asnot to impair a 'passengers comfort and inconspicuously located so'as not to offend the eye. As a part of the receptacle, it :wilib appreciated: that I have provided a container designed'for disposability, which may be easily attached to and even more easilydetached from its. supporting structure. I My structure likewise provides that the con- 7 tainer be closedat all times except when trash is being deposited therein. a v r,

.It will likewise be evident that although I have described an embodiment only of my invention, many alternatives both as to .structureand materials maybe employed in the practiceof my-invention- .For instance, the container portion of my invention need not necessarily be formed of paper. Othermaterials may be employed such as an inexpensive plastic. Any alternative container, ho'we ver, should have a predetermined line of failure such as the lines 'of perforations of the illustrated paper bag sothat the container may .be torn from the frame without imposing undue strain on the frame. I, therefore,-desire that my invention; be regarded as being limited only as set forth in the following claims. Y

Ic1aim: V lrAn automobile trash receiver comprising a pair of similarly proportioned, three-sided rectangular frames, each of said frames having aback and sides extending from said back, pivotally connected together at the free ends of the sides thereof for movement against and away from each other, spring means urging said frames against each other, a' paper bag having upstanding flaps on oppositesides thereof secured about the backs of said frames to support said bag between the sides of said frames,,said flaps being. longitudinallyperforated in that portion thereof encircling the backs of said frames, and means secured to one of said "frames for supporting said frames from the underside of the dashboard of an autobe deposited, the driver or H from the description that 3 I have provided a trash receptacle for automobiles which exceedingly inexpensive tov manufacture and, readily v .20 .WhenLthe container 'becomeslfull, the,flaps may be seized and simply torn off the backs 28 and 36 of the 1 thereof, one end of said arms being secured flat against the sides of one of said frames adjacent the ,back of said frame to extend from the plane of said frame generally perpendicularly and the other end of said arms being recurved on itself to define clips engageable over the underside of the dashboard of an automobile to hold said arms against the underside of said dash board and support said frames generally vertically with the backs thereof uppermost.

3. An-automobile trash receiver comprising a pair of similarly proportioned, three-sided, rectangular frames,

each1of, said frames having aback. and sides extending front said back, pivotally connected together at the free ends of the sides thereof for movementagainst and away from each other, spring means urging said frames against each other, a container having portions thereof secured about the backs of saidvframes to support said container K between the sides of said frames, arms secured to one of, said frames and extending from said plane generally perpendicularly to the plane thereof for supporting said mobile generally vertically with the backs thereof 'upperframes from the underside of the dashboard of an automobile generally vertically 'with the backs thereof up-- permost, saidwother frame having a portion of the back. thereof offset out of the plane thereof away from said one frame.

4. An automobile trash receiver comprising a pair or similarly proportioned, three-sided, rectangular frames, each of said frames having a back and sides extending from said back, pivotally connected together atthe freeends of the sides thereof for movement against and away from each other, spring means urging said frames against each other, a disposable upstanding bag having upstandv ing flaps on opposite sides thereof secured about the backs of saidframes to support said container between the sides of said frames, said flaps having a longitudinal line of failure in that portion thereof encircling the backs of said frames to facilitate tearing said bag from said frames, and means secured to one of said frames for,

supporting said frames from the underside of the dashboard of an automobile generally vertically with. the.

backs thereof uppermost.

5. Anautomobile trash receiver comprising a pairjof similarly proportioned, three-sided, rectangular frames,

each of said frames having a back and sides extending from said back, pivotally connected together at the free ends of the sides thereof for movement againstandaway from each other, spring means urging said frames against each other, a disposable upstanding bag having upstanding flaps on opposite sides thereof secured about the backs of said frames to support said container between the sides of said frames, and means secured to one of said frames for supporting said frames from the underside of the dashboard of an automobile generally-vertrcally with the backs thereof uppermost, the back of the 3 other frame having a portion thereof offset from the plane of said frame away from said one frame and the flap encircling the back of said other frame having aperture therein positioned to permit said offset portion to extend therethrough. 7

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 533,743. Prahar Feb. 5, 1895 1,384,260 Kanter July 12, 1921 1,537,056 Martin Feb. 17, 1925 

